Japanese tourism minister Masatoshi Akimoto (extreme left) at Ahmedabad railway station on Saturday. Javed Raja
Japanese minister for Land, Infrastructure, Tourism and Transport Masatoshi Akimoto on Saturday said that Japan has the responsibility of responding to the expectations of Indians with regard to railways. Akimoto is in Ahmedabad as part of a 15-member delegation to inspect the progress of the 500-km long bullet train project and the metro rail project.
During his visit to the Ahmedabad railway station, Akimoto expressed satisfaction with the pace of the ongoing work and the workers’ adherence to safety norms.
The delegation walked down a one km distance from platform number 12 to the Metro rail construction site and exchanged pleasantries with the workers.
Akimoto said, “Ahmedabad railway station is the most complex site for construction. I have noticed that there is a lot of interest among the Indians about the Japanese-cooperation in the project. I also understand that Japan has the responsibility of responding to expectations of the Indians.”
He said that he will convey this enthusiasm and expectation to the Japanese government once he returned. “As far as Japanese Government is concerned, we will continue to co-operate with the Government of India for the completion of this project,” he said. Appreciating the safety measures adopted at the construction site, he said that the Japanese Government was committed to helping India in enhancing the safety standards in Indian railways.
“I was very impressed to see all workers wearing helmets. They also insisted that we wear the personal protection gear as well. I think it is extremely important to become conscious of the fact that life is important and safety must be the utmost priority,” he said.